Special preparatory session of the Farmers' Forum on "Youth in agriculture"

Saturday, 18 February 2012 (IFAD HQ)

09:00-09:30

Opening remarks: IFAD and MIJARC

How to facilitate access of rural youth to agriculture and agricultural related activities?

09:30-10:30

Presentation of the outcomes of the IFAD-supported grant to MIJARC implemented in collaboration with FAO

Discussion facilitated by a young representative

10:30-10:45

Coffee break

10:45-12:00

Roundtable discussion on on-going rural youth-related initiatives (Discussion facilitated by a young representative)

12:00-14:00

Lunch

14:00-16:00

Working groups

Consolidation of the statements prepared during the regional workshops supported under MIJARC grant with a specific focus on recommendations:

to farmers' organizations for increasing young farmer representation

to IFAD and governments when designing policies and programmes

Coffee will be served during working groups

16:00-17:00

Presentation and discussion of the working group recommendations and the synthesis of deliberations of the special session

Sunday, 19 February 2012 (ARAN Park Hotel)

09:00 - 18:00

Preparatory and parallel meetings of networks of farmers’ and rural producers’ organizations (FOs)

14:00 - 18:00

Registration of participants

18:15 - 20:00

Farmers’ Forum Steering Committee meeting

review of the agenda

preparation for the synthesis of deliberations

designation of sessions chairs and rapporteurs

The Farmers’ Forum global meeting

Monday, 20 February 2012 (IFAD HQ)

09:00 - 10:30

Opening session

Presentation of the agenda and introduction of the Steering Committee members

Address by the President of IFAD

Interventions by members of the Steering Committee: AFA, COPROFAM, LVC, PAFO, ROPPA, WFF, WFFP (5 minutes each). Intervention by the president of WFO (5 minutes)

10:30 - 10:45

Coffee break

10:45 - 12:30

Plenary session: trends and developments in IFAD’s partnerships with FOs. IFAD presentation of “Partnership in Progress 2010-2011”, plenary discussion and wrap up of key issues for the regional working groups

12:30 - 13:00

Plenary session: feedback from the Saturday’s workshop on Youth in Agriculture

13:00 - 14:30

Lunch

14:30 - 17:30

Parallel regional working group sessions: progress achieved and future goals for IFAD-FO partnerships at national and regional levels:

West and Central Africa – Italian Conference Room (En/Fr)

East and Southern Africa – Oval Room A (En/Fr)

Near East, North Africa and Europe - Oval Room B (En/Fr/Ar)

Latin America and the Caribbean – Room C 400 4th floor wing C (Sp)

Asia and the Pacific – Room C 500 5th floor wing C (En)

17:30 - 18:30

Rapporteurs prepare their feedback from the regional working groups

19:30 - 20:30

Evening working session of the Steering Committee on recommendations on IFAD/FOs partnerships

Tuesday, 21 February 2012 (IFAD HQ)

8:30 - 10:45

Four parallel Thematic Working Groups:

Sustainable agriculture, Agro-ecology: how to promote and scale up good practices on the ground? – Italian Conference Room Arabic | English | French | Spanish

Institutional development and financial sustainability of farmers organisations: how external support can avoid the dependency syndrome and contribute to building more autonomous/self-sustaining FOs? – Oval Room B English | French | Spanish

Engaging RIO+20: what are the common objectives of FOs and IFAD? How can we effectively support each other? – Room C 500 5th floor wing C English

10:45 - 11:00

Coffee break

11:00 - 12:30

Plenary session: reports of the five regional working groups of Monday on the operational partnership on the ground

12:30 - 14:00

Lunch
Preparation of the Short Synthesis of Deliberations for the GC (Steering Committee)

14:00 - 16:30

Plenary session: feedback from the four thematic working groups
Presentation, discussion and approval by FO representatives of the short Synthesis of Deliberations

16:30 - 16:45

Coffee break

16:45 - 18:30

Final plenary session open to IFAD EB Representatives
Reading of the short Synthesis of Deliberations
Reactions of IFAD management (Associate Vice President, PMD)
Exchanges with EB Representatives
Closure of The Farmers’ Forum by Associate Vice President, PMD

Wednesday, 22 February 2012 (IFAD HQ)

The participants in The Farmers’ Forum are invited to the Governing Council with observer’s status. The Farmers’ Forum Synthesis of Deliberations is delivered to the Governing Council Plenary on 22 February (to be confirmed).

Thursday, 23 February 2012 (IFAD HQ)

“Linking research to advocacy in farmer organizations: building on country experiences”. organised by AgriNatura and the ESFIM project. – Oval Room B English | French | Spanish

14:00 - 16:00

“The role of livestock for farmers coping with environmental and social challenges of the future”. organised by Vétérinaires Sans Frontières – Europa. - Room C 500 5th floor wing C English | French | Spanish

16:00 - 16:30

Coffee break

16:30 - 18:30

“Strengthening farmers' organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa– the Farmer Organization Support Centre in Africa” (FOSCA). organised by Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). – Oval Room A English | French | Spanish